Some magical moments come dressed in a huge heart surrounded in lots of fur.
Pearl One
You know how we’ve been told, “make a daily gratitude list?” I mean, of course, it’s helpful to be grateful for all that we have: yes, I love clean drinking water, a hot shower and frozen ice cream always on hand (not). Yes, I’m grateful for the Wright Brothers, women getting the vote and Robert Redford’s parents getting busy. But when I’d try to write a list it didn’t feel somehow right for me. (I guess the idea is to make a fresh new list each morning for that particular day.)
But what does speak to me: noticing the magical moments that are woven into our lives like lunch out with a niece you rarely see due to geography; vacationing with a friend you’ve known since college, or staying engaged with the hobby you adore (like seeing Broadway shows, riding your bike for hours knowing your day is wide open or going to the garage sales every Saturday).
So, in honor of magical moments, this is my moment’s list about taking weight off after fifty and keeping it off for a lifetime. Take a look:
- I’m so glad to be alive when these two humans are also alive. James Clear who wrote the best-seller Atomic Habits that gives the details on how to stage our life for ultimate success. The other human is Charles Duhigg who wrote The Power of Habit. Our moms and grandmas didn’t have this knowledge that we take for granted today. Our world now knows so much about how pivotal habits are, how to build them and how to strengthen them day by day. The way I see it, these two habit books are changing the entire weight loss/maintenance landscape.
- I’m so happy to live in a time when nutrition labels are on most grocery store items. Love nutrition labels for the knowledge they bring.
- I love that restaurants — from fast-food to Micheline starred restaurants – put their menu online making it a snap to plan a healthy restaurant meal in advance of dining out. (Funny, but pizza doesn’t look so alluring when you realize a slice of Mellow Mushroom’s meat pizza is 530 calories, 27 g fat, 1,370 mg sodium, and 48 g carbs. And who stops at one slice?)
- I am thrilled that I had an aha-moment in Sacramento traffic in the late 90s. I resolved then and there to truly change my eating habits rather than merely lose weight for the short run. It’s a tingly feeling when you know you’re having an aha. (But that being said, I don’t think you have to hit bottom and have an aha to lose and maintain forever.)
- And, yes, it was a magical moment when it dawned on me that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) specifically will make serious inroads to how we lose and maintain after fifty.
- When I think of certain people that I love having in my life — like my auto repair guy — I let him know how great he is and have brought homemade cookies just to show him that the love is real. Deepen the relationship with the magical people in your life by telling them how important they are to you. (I don’t mention the fur-kids because I know you give them all the hugs and kisses.)
I’m tickled that I’m alive for all of it: the labels, the online menus, that aha moment, CBT and the magical people. Share your favorite gratitude examples or your magical moments in the comments below. ❄️
Pearl Two
Our journal-writing prompt pearl. Pull out your journal and get to know yourself better!
- What small moment today made you stop and feel a spark of joy or wonder? Describe it in detail.
- What ordinary object or routine in your life feels unexpectedly beautiful or comforting when you notice it closely?
- Can you remember a fleeting encounter with a stranger or friend that left a lasting impression? What made it meaningful?
- Which sound, smell, or sight instantly brings a sense of peace or nostalgia to you? Why do you think that is?
- Describe a moment when time seemed to slow down. What were you experiencing, and how did it affect you?
- When you look back at your week, what tiny, easily overlooked moment would you call magical if you paid attention?
- How do acts of kindness, whether given or received, change the way you view a day or a person?
- Which doctor, dentist, hair stylist or veterinarian do you cherish for what they bring to your life?
- How do you deepen the magical moments?❄️
Pearl Three
Sequencing is taken directly from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The purpose of sequences is to help us move from reacting to circumstances to responding. I encourage you to do a sequence a day in your journal. Powerful stuff. Apply to your own life.
Initial Sequence
- Situation: Eleanor’s workplace moved out of state and she decided not to follow. She’s 59 and found a new job that pays less than she’d been making at her former company.
- Initial thought: “This job is beneath my level of experience. Every morning when I walk in the door, I roll my eyes.”
- Feeling: Irritated in general especially towards herself.
- Action: Eleanor begins drinking in the evening.
- Result: She grits her teeth while holding steady at her new job until she can retire.❄️
For the most part, we can’t do an immediate U-turn from an old sequence to a new one, instead we might need several bridge sequences here to take us from the initial thought to the final chosen thought. But eventually you’d be surprised how quickly you can do one!
Chosen Sequence
- Situation: Eleanor’s workplace moved out of state and she decided not to follow. She’s 59 and found a new job that pays less than she’d been making at her former company.
- Chosen thought: “I made the choice to not follow the company and I’m still 100 percent behind my decision. Moving would have put me further away from my adult kids. And I’m happy with my life in this town: I have friends, a veterinarian that I love, and a monthly book club that I’d really miss.”
- Feeling: Eleanor feels like she has her own back and feels capable and smart for deciding to stay put.
- Action: Eleanor does two things: first, she begins to look for the good in every day in her new job (and rereads her notes daily) and two, she stays open to landing a new position that is more commiserate to her skill level.
- Result: Eleanor doesn’t pine for the past because she acknowledges on a daily basis why not following the company was such a strong decision for her life. She embraces all the reason’s she didn’t leave town: she gets together with friends and her kids and deepens her enjoyment of their time together. ❄️
Pearl Four
Today I have a fantastic book-dessert recommendation that will give you all the Andy Griffith feels. This book felt to me like being a fly on the wall in a Mayberry home. Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns starts off a bit slow with the author spending time setting the scene and the characters.
The book is set in the south and I just happened to listen to it on audio. The longer I listened to the book the more and more impressed I was with the narrator himself. He wasn’t just good, he was off-the-charts great. So I looked him up and turns out his real name is Grover Gardner, but also works under the name “Tom Parker,” has narrated 1500 books and is considered one of the best in the business.
So today I’m not recommending a book, I’m recommending the audio version of this book. The first half of the story is somewhat slow (but pleasant to read), the second half of the book really speeds up. Highly recommended. Total book-dessert.❄️
Pearl Five
Discipline is choosing between what you want now and what you want most.” ❄️
Abraham Lincoln
I love giving books as gifts and here’s what I’ve given over the last few years.
Maintaining our weight is so difficult especially during the holidays, so just “hold” your current progress and give yourself an early gift by cutting yourself some slack.
Have a great week!
♥, Wendy
You know the scoop: I’m an Amazon affiliate. If you buy from a link in my post, I’ll receive money, but the arrangement won’t cost you a dime.
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I am not an expert, doctor, surgeon, nurse, dietician, or nutritionist: the information within TheInspiredEater.com is based solely on my personal experience and is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
